In the past, there have been, and continue to be, many traditional ways to pay for purchases, including cash, checks, credit cards, and debit cards. Traditional payment methods typically require the user to separately, manually update financial accounting records, such as making an entry for each check in the user's check book, or writing a check to pay for credit card bills.
More recently, online Internet payment systems have been developed to provide for payment of bills through online access to a centralized payment system. Some of these systems provide some level of integration with financial accounting systems. However, online Internet payment systems are limited in that the user can not take such a system to a store.
A way to pay for purchases is needed that is mobile, and that provides a user-friendly electronic interface with financial accounting systems.
Items that can be purchased include authorization transfers—tickets, for example. The purchase of various types of tickets is the purchase of the authorization to do something—to attend a movie, to take a particular airline flight, and the like. Traditionally, tickets were available in hardcopy paper form. More recently, many merchant services provide electronic ticketing. Traditional hardcopy tickets can be lost. Electronic ticketing relies on the integrity of a particular merchant's system. A way to personally control electronic ticketing is needed.
In the past, bank charges and credit card processing charges for processing credit card charges, debit card charges, electronic transfers, and other like transactions have been for amounts that make processing transactions for smaller amounts such as amounts of less than five U.S. dollars $5.00 unattractive for merchants and infeasible for consumers. A way is needed to process small amount transactions and for charging a small fee that is more compatible with the amount of the transaction.